Sesame Pork

Well it finally happened. The weather cooled down this weekend, and it really feels like fall around here. The coffee maker has emerged from hibernation (we’ve been drinking it iced for months), and I actually had to wear socks outside. Hello October! Of course, the temps will be back up in the 70’s next week, but we definitely got a taste of what is to come. My brain is starting to shift toward cold-weather cooking, and I’m looking forward to getting to some of the recipes that I’ve saved for this time of year.

This stir fry was the perfect way to ease ourselves into the next season. It’s healthy, filled with lean pork and veggies, but hearty enough to take the chill out of the air. It’s also a great excuse to use up small amounts of vegetables in our refrigerator. This recipe originally called for snake beans, but I had some sugar snap peas that I needed to use up, so I went with that instead. You can mix and match depending on your tastes – green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, peppers. Some things (carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower) tend to take a bit longer to cook than others, but if you chop them smaller (like the julienned carrots in this recipe), everything can be added to the pan together and they will all cook through in the same amount of time.

To make the stir-fry sauce, combine the hoisin and teriyaki sauces, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Set aside until needed.

Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Turn on your kitchen range vent or open a window. Stir fries can get smoky! Add one tablespoon of the peanut oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Then add half of the sliced pork and stir-fry it for 3-4 minutes, or until nicely browned on both sides. Though it may be tempting to toss in all of the pork at once, resist the urge. It’s important to do it in batches so that it can sear properly. Remove the cooked pork to a clean bowl. Add another tablespoon of peanut oil to the pan and repeat with the rest of the pork.

Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of peanut oil, the sesame oil, the scallions, garlic, and ginger to the wok. Stir-fry for one minute, being careful not to let it burn.

Add the carrots and peas to the pan, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender (slightly undercooked). Return the pork to the wok, add the stir-fry sauce, and stir until the sauce thickens, the vegetables are just cooked, and everything is heated through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over steamed rice.